infinite11285 wrote:GREY 1769 wrote:infinite11285 wrote:
Not voting is moot. What’s the endgame here? Say the season is canceled—does it resume in the Fall when COVID spikes again? Should every season be canceled until COVID is eradicated?
Kyrie’s willing to die on a hill until “systemic racism” is gone; but, what does that mean? It’s like he’s holding the NBA hostage for not being able to fix issues well outside of the league’s scope. I’m all for standing up for social reforms, when warranted, but again, what’s the endgame here? Kyrie is just yelling for change while lacking a strategy, plan, and action.
Not to the players from the recent feedback, though. I suppose now that there is a conflation of both the second wave (while the first isn't done) of the virus coupled with the protests that some players felt was an added issue to wrestle with, they are voicing their concerns.
I don't think that A=Z thinking works here - if the season gets canceled now does not mean the worst case scenario of waiting until Covid is eradicated. Rather, responding in real time and being prepared for as many eventualities as possible is the name of the game, but along the way, that some voices were glossed over - that move in and of itself has an air of pushing things through for expediency or something, like the top players didn't want the blowback. Well part of the league being more player-centric means more players have a voice. This can't be ignored as players and staff who make significantly less arguably stand to lose more should they fill in for a guy who can afford to not play and then get sick or get someone else sick.
The end game to me should first and foremost be health. And to that end, waiting until the second wave has had its run would be optimal OR play in a place that is far safer; I tongue-in-cheek suggested New Zealand or Australia, but considering NZ just had a big 'we beat Covid' celebration, it's not so preposterous. But the NBA has serious financial concerns, and I do think they're pushing up against the stated 'health is primary' position. There is a lot to figure out, and not a lot of time in which to do it, and it coming out that some players' concerns were not well represented before the vote happened only slows things further.
Great points, but, is a league wide player vote an agreed upon stipulation of the current CBA? Something tells me it isn't, because the NBA wouldn't just violate not holding a vote. If the NBA isn't required to hold a vote, then arguing about not having a vote is moot.
I agree the end game should be to maintain the health of the NBA's players, staff, and associated partners, but it sounds like Kyrie's primary beef involves ending systemic racism. There's no correlation between the league resuming play, and accomplishing the abolishment of systemic racism. I feel like I'm missing some material information, because Kyrie's demands don't appear to be attainable regardless if the season resumes or not.
Appreciate it, thanks. I'm not sure about the voting agreement in place, but it does sound as if some players were not given the chance to voice their issues before it went through, so now there's this response.
And yeah, I have no idea what Kyrie is about with respect to 'something smells fishy' in relation to continuing to play with the protests going on. Is it alluding to some racism within the league - players forced to play? Guessing the maze of KI's thinking - even if the central broad concern of racism is clear - is wading through a labyrinth I'm not sure anyone can get out of lol
Kyrie is in a position to fully back the players who have concerns because he does not have to make the choice of whether or not to play - he was out anyway. So that's a significant aspect of the equation and its pressures gone. So while I commend him for standing up and speaking out in his unique way of expressing himself, in some ways he's also in an easier position to do so.
I hope that the health concerns get ironed out and the protections are as ironclad as they can possibly be. Outside of that, whatever they agree upon is fine by me.
